Fuel economy a highlight of 2014 Mazda3

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The full-scale redesign of the Mazda3, on sale since September, provokes a craving for a blend that would include the Mazda's own exceptional steering and brakes, the redesigned Toyota Corolla's general roominess and interior serenity, and the Ford Focus' outstanding chassis.
Mazda

Models start at $17,740 including $795 shipping for i SV base model with six-speed manual transmission. The 2.5-liter models are $25,390-up. The most popular model, the i Touring, 2-liter, automatic, starts at $21,440.
Mazda

It'll depend a bit on where you position the front seat, but for many drivers, the windshield pillar, called the A pillar, angles right where it can block your view of pedestrians and cars approaching from the side.
Mazda

The car got bigger in the redesign. The wheelbase — distance between front and back wheels, which dictates leg and knee room — grew a hefty 3 inches. But Mazda lists an inch less rear legroom in the new one. And it feels like it.
Mazda

Mazda has introduced the all-new 3rd generation Mazda3 to the American marketplace for 2014. The Mazda3 was the first vehicle in North America to launch the automaker's SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY, Mazda's engineering and manufacturing philosophy back in 2012 which allowed the Mazda3 to achieve fuel economy of 40 miles per gallon.

This year the Mazda3 not only receives the full suite of SKYACTIV technologies but a complete KODO "Soul of Motion" makeover as well as offers all-new active safety technologies with i-ACTIVSENSE and introduces an all-new "heads-up" HMI/ infotainment system known as MAZDA CONNECT.

The new Mazda3 is 100-percent removed from its non-SKYACTIV predecessors. Shedding pounds, gaining efficiency and outfitted in a new wardrobe of KODO sheet metal, the Mazda3 available in four-door and five-door forms and offered in four trim levels – SV (sedan only), Sport, Touring and Grand Touring.

Lower and leaner, the 2014 Mazda3 sits on a wheelbase that is 2.4 inches longer than the previous generation, yet the sedan is 0.6 inches shorter in overall length. The five-door is 1.8 inches shorter than the previous model. The Mazda3 has reduced its overall height by 0.6 inches but gains 1.6 inches in hip room, all while retaining similar headroom space and offering comfortable a rear legroom area. The rear seatbacks were lengthened nearly 2.0 inches for added passenger comfort. Front and rear shoulder room also was increased.

The 2014 Mazda3 is offered with two engine choices: a SKYACTIV-G 2.0L four-cylinder engine and a larger SKYACTIV-G 2.5L four-cylinder engine. Both advanced direct injection engines feature a new high-tumble 4-2-1 exhaust system that increases engine output. As compared to the outgoing MZR 2.5-liter engine, the torque output on the SKYACTIV-G 2.5-liter engine at low- to mid-range speeds is increased by 10 to 15 percent, and its weight is reduced by 10 percent. The SKYACTIV-G 2.5L boasts a performance increase of more than 10 percent over the MZR engine.

Transmission choices include the SKYACTIV-MT six-speed manual gearbox or the SKYACTIV-Drive six-speed automatic. The SKYACTIV-MT offers the short, crisp shift pattern reminiscent of the MX-5 Miata. SKYACTIV-Drive achieves a direct shift feel and quick gear changes that contribute to quick acceleration while maximizing the best features of a direct-shift gearbox and a conventional torque-converter system.

The interior of the Mazda3 is expressive and purposeful, starting with the driver-oriented cockpit. In following with Mazda's Jinba-Ittai philosophy of a rider and horse connected as one, everything from the arrangement of switches and knobs to the physical location of driving controls such as the shifter, the driver (rider) and Mazda3 (horse) perfect an understood dance to the melody of winding S-curves and long straightaways.

For example, the pedals have been laid out symmetrically to the left and right of the driver's center-line for further precision and comfort. A new hinged organ-type accelerator pedal is now standard equipment for added safety as well as lessens the natural fatigue associated with frequent pedal pressure, such as during stop-and-go commutes. Designed not only to appeal to the senses, each control and function has been specifically placed with intuitive utility in mind.

The 2014 Mazda3 also is the first vehicle to feature Mazda's all-new Active Driving Display, a clear pop-up panel that is vertically mounted behind the meter hood to provide vehicle speed, navigation directions and other pertinent driving information safely and directly within the driver's line of sight. This feature not only decreases the amount of time a driver is focused away from the road ahead but the virtual information display being located beyond the instrument panel falls in line with where a driver's eyes would naturally be looking. The Active Driving Display automatically folds back into a hidden position when the ignition is shut off.

The redesigned meter cluster features a centrally-positioned analog gauge flanked by a pair of wing-shaped digital displays. The dial face for the center gauge is characterized by three-dimensional metallic numerals while its red-ringed border pulses in brightness when the driver's door is opened. From the gauge clusters extends a decorative dash panel outfitted in satin chrome with piano black trim pieces adorning select areas of the center console and front door inserts. The superior feel of the various textures, grains and touch points provides an unexpected yet definitive above-segment feeling of quality.